


Lil Edward’s Adventures

by Holmgren13



Category: Original Work
Genre: Age Difference, Bullying, M/M, Middle School
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:15:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28725717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holmgren13/pseuds/Holmgren13
Summary: Lil Edward is new to the city. Things are as simple as they were back in the country, and with no friends to help him, the stress is starting to build...
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 9





	1. Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> Ratings may change as chapters are added

“My name is Edward. Um... I’m from Anvil.” A small boy stood in front of his new classroom, his teacher looking down at the papers on her desk paying no attention to the activity she incited. “Uh... I moved here just yesterday with my two little sisters and two big sisters, and my mom and dad. They call my Lil Edward.” 

A girl at the front of the class raised her hand, not waiting to be called on by anyone before asking, “Isn’t Anvil way out in the sticks?”

Edward felt himself rocking on his feet, one hand reaching up and pinching the top button of his polo shirt. He was uncomfortable in the new clothes his mother got him for his first day, and standing in front of a whole classroom of kids his age being stared at was making him nervous. “Um, yeah... I mean, well, we’re from the country, if that’s what you-“

“Why do your family all call you little?” A boy asked from somewhere in the second or third row, without raising his hand. 

“W-well My sisters called me that since I was born, and-“

“Are they all bigger than you?”

“Uh-“

Another girl raised her hand. “Did you have a school back in the country?”

“Yeah, but... well, Mom and Dad taught me.” 

“You mean you were home schooled?”

A boy called out from near the back. “Does that mean you’re stupid or something?”

The class laughed, and Edward blushed from the front, now gripping the front of his shirt as the teacher tapped her ruler on her desk. “Hey hey, now. None of that. Edward? Why don’t you tell us where you came from?”

“M-miss Green, I already...” 

The teacher shook her head slightly. “Then why don’t you tell us WHY you moved here?”

Edward took a deep breath. That was a question he asked himself a lot since before he even got here. “Mom and Dad got a new job, so they needed to move, that’s it.”

The teacher had started grading another paper, but at the short answer she finally put down her pen and stood. “That’s nice... well, Edward, thank you for telling us about yourself, you can take your seat again.” As the boy walked back to his seat, his eyes turned down to the ground right in front of him, Miss Green took her place back at the white board. “Well, today we’re going to continue working on exponents and square roots.” 

Edward took his seat in the middle of class and took out his books. He had tried to read a bit of the study books his mother bought him, but they were really confusing. His older sisters tried to help him, but only so long as it had been entertaining to them, and that wasn’t very long. As the teacher began drawing large squares on the board and cut it into a bunch of little squares and tried to explain how multiplying a number by itself multiple times somehow made squares.

Edward looked around the class, many of the other kids all making notes while they weren’t turning to each other to whisper and snicker. He tried to look up at the board, but in moments his head was swimming again, and he tried to look back to his book, but everything on the page just seemed nonsensical. His knee began to bound in place as the stress and confusion began getting to him. The new clothes felt too tight, and he pulled another button on his polo shirt undone. He wanted to go home, but he knew he couldn’t. As he tried to focus, Edward stepped on the back of his heel, pulling at his feet until they pulled free from his shoes. He felt slightly better with the restriction, stepping on top of his shoes as his knee began to bounce again. 

It wasn’t long before the whispers around Edward’s desk began to raise, and others began to giggle. He looked, and a few of the kids were looking at him, pointing at his feet. The giggling grew, and Miss Green finally turned and tapped her ruler once again. “Focus... if you have questions raise your hand.” 

“Miss Green.” One of the girls, the first one who asked a question to Edward, rose her hand. “Little Edward took off his shoes.” 

A chuckle shifted through the class, but Miss Green’s tapping eventually drew everyone’s eyes. Edward’s ears were burning red as he held his hands firmly down by his sides, feeling as if he just wanted to shrink away and disappear. He quickly tried to press his feet into his shoes, but wasn’t able to before Miss Green stepped back and cleared her throat. 

“Edward, I know you’re used to being as comfortable as you wanted being taught at home, but in this class you must at the very least wear your shoes.” 

“Uh...y-yes ma’am.” More snickering and giggling to him calling the teacher ma’am, and to Edward reaching down to pull the back of his shoes back over his heels. The rest of the lesson seemed impossibly long, but at least the kids eventually stopped staring. 

Lunch hour was desperately needed. Edward grabbed his brown paper bag lunch and made his way to the cafeteria. He had no friends yet, and he saw almost nowhere to sit, so he sat in the corner where there were some empty seats available. He poured out the contents of his lunch, but only found a foil wrapped sandwich and a bag of grapes. His fruit candies, chips, and soda were all gone... Edward sighed, thinking and hoping that this was just because he was new. He wouldn’t be new for long...

Edward ate what he had, and as the children all began to file out into the playground, he followed. He walked into the grass, wishing he didn’t have to wear his stuffy shoes for once, but was too scared to try taking them off again. It was okay though. This was just his first day. Things could get better... he just needed to find a friend. Everyone around here had friends. Looking over the playground he saw dozens of groups all having fun in their own ways. Playing basketball, sitting in the shade trading cards, kicking a soccer ball in the field... 

Where would he find himself someday? 

Walking into the grass and simply walking towards the back gate, Edward heard a group of kids yelling and laughing back and forth. He thought they were just having fun at first, but as he got nearer, he noticed one of the kids in the center of a group of half a dozen more, tossing a backpack over the center kid’s head and holding him back from catching it again and again... It would have looked almost fun if the boy in the center wasn’t begging to have his stuff back, clawing each way to try to catch the bag each time it was thrown. 

Deciding this might be his chance to make a friend and get back at some of the bullies at the same time, Edward marched over. He shouldered his way between two of the boys and made a grab for the bag, yanking it away from one of the others and tossing it gently to the boy in the middle. “Here you go.” He stated firmly and friendly. “Are you okay?”

Two of the boys from the circle grabbed Edward’s arms and pushed him out of the circle, tossing him into the grass. This wasn’t a big deal, as Edward wrestled with his sisters on the farm all the time, and they threw way harder than that. As he was getting up, one of the boys came up to him, standing almost a whole head taller than him. “Who’s the new kid?”

“That’s Little Edward.” One of the others spoke up from behind him. “He’s a country boy who’s never been to school before. He can’t even read.” 

Edward raised his eyebrows. “What? I can read.”

“Oh yeah? Well read this.” The bigger boy stepped forward and shoved Edward to the ground again as the kids around him laughed. “Oooh! What’s wrong, Ed-turd. You gonna cry?”

Edward was standing up again and dusting off his bum. “Why? I’ve been pushed around harder by my little sister.” He hadn’t meant that to be an insult of a challenge, but looking back it was not the smartest thing to say. The bigger kid had started to raise his arms, but one of the other boys grabbed him and motioned over to a teacher who was walking towards them. The boys all scattered, leaving Edward and the boy who’d been getting bullied. 

The teacher came close and quickly asked, “Hey, are you boys behaving?”

“What?” Edward motioned over to the other boys. “They-“

“We’re fine!” The boy who was picked on stepped forward and pulled Edward’s arm down. “They were just playing and the new kid started pushing us around... “

“Young man.” The teacher turned to Edward. “Is this true?”

“Wh-what? No!”

“Did you shove those boys?”

“Well, kinda to get into their-“

“Ah! Zip.” The woman snapped at the boy, who bit his tongue. “I’m going to keep my eyes on you, young man. If I see any more rough housing, I’ll send you to the principal. Do you want that?”

“But I-“ The other kid elbowed him hard in the arm, and Edward cringed and rubbed his arm, looking up at the glaring teacher. “... No Ma’am...” 

“Good. I’m keeping my eye on you.” She finally went away, marching towards another group of kids making a lot of noise. 

Edward turned to the boy. “Why didn’t you tell the truth? Those guys were bullying you!”

The boy tried to be secretive as he wiped quickly under his glasses and then stuffed his hands in his pockets, his pack now hanging off one shoulder. “And now they’re going to do it even more because you decided to make them mad, thanks for THAT!” He looked hurt and angry, and as he walked, he shouldered past Edward. “Just mind your own business!” With that, he left towards the cafeteria. 

Edward stood frozen in spot, feeling confused and hurt. He hated it here. He wanted to be back home. He started walking alone again along the fence. He found himself in front of a large tree in the corner of the playground, and looked up into the branches. They were pretty high up, but he bet he could reach them if he really tried. The bell began to ring, and Edward looked across the yard, seeing all of the kids filing towards the school halls again. Edward thought, and he did not want to be back in there again. He didn’t feel comfortable in there. Back whenever he was angry at his mom or his sisters when she was trying to make us do homework, Edward would just go for a walk to calm down and then come back and finish. He decided he needed a walk. Since there were no exits nearby, Edward jumped up the tree and grabbed the lowest branch, pulling himself up into the leaves. Once high enough, he leaned over and jumped to the top of the fence, pulling himself over and dropping down to the sidewalk on the other side. He took a deep breath and decided to walk in one direction for a while and then turn back. Crossing his hands behind his head, he began walking. He just needed space. His teacher would understand. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Normally Edward’s walks were good and simple. From his house he just took the road, there was only one, out as far as he felt he needed. Sometimes he’d get all the way to the pond, but only when he was really upset. After walking as far as he needed, he’d just walk home. Sometimes his dad would take the truck out and drive down the road to meet him and make sure he had someone to talk to. If it’d been rough, it was nice to ride back home in the back of the truck, and Edward always felt better after a good walk like that. 

Here things were different. There were roads that went every which way, some for cars, others narrow and filled with trash, and sometimes he was having to for cars to go by before rushing across, and there were people everywhere. It was also not and uncomfortable wearing these new sneakers his mother got him, but the whole way was concrete. And it was getting hot, it felt like there was no moving air except for when a car passed, but the slight breeze they brought with them was fowl smelling and just as hot as street. 

He’d been walking for probably a good 20 or more minutes, kicking at small stones if he passed them, weaving between people who seemed to not even see him, all focused either on their phones or just anything that wasn’t really in front of them. So many people just looking off in front of themselves without even seeing anything. Edward was not getting the same relief from his country walks, but then he passed by one more tall building and found himself looking off towards a massive field of green. A park! 

“Oh, awesome!” Without even looking Edward ran across the street, getting honked at as he jumped out of the way of a taxi. “S-sorry!” He didn’t stop, however, and ran into the park excitedly. Across the field he ran, looking at the small number of trees, a sand area with a jungle gym, a small river that cut through with little stone bridges, a gated in basketball court... it had everything! The boy found a bench and sat down, reaching down and taking off his shoes and socks, knowing that HERE it had to be okay to run around the grass barefoot. 

Edward always preferred to be barefoot. He’d stepped on a good number of stones and sticks and such, but it never made it any less freeing to feel the ground under your feet, and the cool air breeze by as you ran. He tucked his shoes to the side of the bench so that he’d remember where he’d put them, and ran out into the field. It felt awesome! Finally, he was able to feel that bit of home, and all of that tension from the day started to finally melt away. He did a poor cartwheel, falling over into the grass with a chuckle before reaching all four limbs up to the sky and letting them fall to his sides with a sigh. He opened his eyes and just watched some far away clouds very slowly creep across the sky, momentarily covering the sun before he needed to close them tight, the sun splashing over his face. 

Edward crossed his arms behind his head and lifted one knee, crossing his other leg over comfortably. He laid there for a few minutes enjoying the freedom and openness of the park before sitting up and tossing his hair from side to side to free some of the grass before standing up and brushing off his pants. He’d been gone from school for a while now. He was feeling much better, so it was probably time to walk back. He’ll figure out what chapters they learned, and he’ll have his sister help him catch up for missing that part of the day. 

Walking back towards the bench where he’d left his shoes, Edward started to get confused. At least he’d THOUGHT this was where he’d left them. He turned and saw another bench, and made his way over, but nope. No shoes. Scratching his head, Edward started looking for another bench, but there was nothing. Where had his shoes gone? Surely no one would have accidentally taken his shoes, that wouldn’t make any sense. Looking, he walked around the park twice slowly turning himself to a panic. he couldn’t believe he lost his shoes! Mom was going to be so man... 

He gave a sigh of defeat, and decided he needed to at least get back to school, so made his way back to the street, following the street towards one of the tall buildings he was sure he passed on the way to the park. Unfortunately, Edward didn’t realize he’d turned the wrong way, having gotten turned around looking for his shoes, and was walking further from the school. He was thankful that the pavement wasn’t so hot, but whenever he crossed the street he needed to do it in a quick run or he’d burn his little feet. He was sure the bottoms of his feet would be black later, but that’s what baths were for. 

Things looked different the further he walked, and soon Edward was beginning to wonder if he knew which direction he’d been going. He was getting tired, and his feet were starting to hurt walking on the concrete for so long. As much as he’d been walking, Edward was becoming very thirsty, and hungry too. There were no water fountains like there were at school, and no houses where he could knock and ask someone for a glass of water. They were all just a bunch of buildings... where did anyone live here? 

The smell of French fries and beef made the boy start to almost drool. he closed his eyes and just took a nice long whiff before following his nose around the next corner, finding a man with a small cart selling tacos, bags of pork chips, and canned sodas from a plastic cooler. Excitedly, Edward made his way over and got to the back of a short line, almost bouncing in place as he waited for his turn. When the person in front got his food and moved aside, Edward stood up on his toes and leaned on the steel countertop of the cart. 

“Hi! Uh...” Edward knew he didn’t have any money, and looked up at the priced. $1.50 for a taco, $1.00 for a soda... that wasn’t very much. “I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t have any money... Can I maybe just have a water or-“

“Hey hey!” The man reached forward and pushed Edward’s hands off of the cart and motioned him to shoo away. “No money, no food. I’m not a charity, go!” 

“H-hey!” The men rudely shuffled the boy away and started taking the next order. Edward huffed, but at this point he was really getting thirsty and hungry, and the smell was making it so much worse. He turned to leave, and found a dime there on the ground. In fact, he recalled he’d been seeing a lot of loose change on the ground as he walked, but he hadn’t bothered picking it up. Thinking quickly, Edward decided he might be able to find enough at least for a water. He started walking down the street, turning around the block picking up change wherever he found any. A few pennies here and their, a nickel, even two quarters... it took him maybe 15 minutes to get all the way around the block, but when he counted up when he found, it actually came up to $1.71. Not quite enough for both a taco and a water.

Edward decided he needed water more than a taco, as hungry as he was getting, so he got back into line, holding the change he’d gathered in both hands. He slowly made his way forward until he was back at the front, and the man looked down at him with preconceived disdain. Edward, however, proudly placed the change on the counter. “I’m sorry for before, I found some money now. Can I have-“

“What is this!?” The man spat out, gesturing angrily at the pile of dirty coins. “You serious? You just went and picked up trash change and throw it on my cart!” The man scooped up the money with a look of annoyance and disgust, tossing it all into a tip jar on the edge of the cart without even counting. “Fine...Chicken or beef?”

“Uh, well, I was actually wondering if i could-“

“Chicken or beef?” He asked more forcefully.

“Uh, b-beef?” Edward just answered, feeling guilty about being such a bother. As the man got the taco quickly filled and wrapped, Edward cleared his throat, feeling very tight as his nerves started to build up inside of him again. “C-can... Can I have a water?”

The man paused and placed the taco down firmly. “How much did you give me?”

“I...uh...I...” 

“Guh...” He grabbed a bottle from the cooler and placed it down. “Go, go. You’re holding up my line.”

Edward grabbed the food and the bottle and ran across the street and continued on his way until he found a place with a bench to sit on. He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself down, but the tightness in his throat and chest didn’t go away. He drank half of the water down in one go, and then unwrapped and took a bite of the taco. It was soggy and mostly just soft lettuce. He ate anyways, and he drank. He sniffed. He wiped a tear from his cheek. He was lost. 

Edward looked up at a building with a clock on it, seeing it was after 2 o’clock. School would be getting out soon. He was going to be in a lot of trouble. He didn’t want everyone to be mad at him. Edward just wanted to go home. Back where he knew things. Where he wasn’t stupid. 

The sound of someone on a radio crackling in and out of static caught the boy’s attention. He looked over and noticed a pair or policemen walking down the sidewalk towards him, one very wide with thick arms and very short very thin hair, and the other a bit shorter but thinner with graying hair cut short but combed to the side. They were walking towards him, and his heart started racing. What if they found out he was supposed to be in school? What if they called his mom? Would he be put in the back of a police car? Would they be mad too?!

Without thinking, Edward stuffed the greasy taco wrapper and the half full water bottle into his pockets and he ran away from the policemen, crossing the street as soon as he was able! They didn’t follow, but he didn’t feel safe until he had gone another block away, and once again, he didn’t know where he was. He swallowed hard, and finally kept walking until he found a building with a clean and quiet set of steps in the shade. He sat once more and pulled in his legs, hugging his kneed. His hands were shaking slightly as he tried to figure out what to do. Maybe if he just sat for a while, he’d figure something out. If only he knew where he was... if only he were smarter... 

People passed by without noticing the boy sat on the steps, without even looking in his direction. In and out of the building they came and went, going by in cars, on bikes, on foot, but not one seemed to give him a second look. What if he never found his way back? What if it got dark and everyone went home? Would he starve? Would his parents eventually find him? If they did, how mad would they be? What if they didn’t WANT to find him? What if, what if, what if...

It was almost an hour later when the boy felt someone touch his shoulder. He jumped and looked up at someone wearing a dark suit leaning down to him. Edward jumped up and turned to face the man, reaching up to rub his arm awkwardly as he readied himself to be told off again. The man didn’t chase him off or yell, he just stood straight and looked at the boy a while. He had a younger face for a grown up, standing tall and thin, his suit jacket’s padded shoulders making his chest look awkwardly square. His auburn hair and freckled skin made his emerald green eyes look shiny and friendly, and he held an expression of concern, not anger. The man squatted down on the steps, trying to get more on level with the boy who stood down on the ground. 

“Hey... are you okay?”

That question. Edward started thinking back to everything. Was he okay? No. His vision began to warp and shimmer as his eyes filled with tears. All of his fears and nerves and confusion seemed to implode inside, crushing him as he only tried to consider if he were okay. He grit his teeth and shut his eyes and felt himself shaking. And then he felt the man’s hand on his shoulder, as he was slowly lead to the door and ushered inside. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Edward looked around the room where he sat alone. He’d only been left for a moment, and he was feeling a lot better. Andrew, that was the man who helped him inside, had let him have a cry and made sure he was comfortable for when he was done, and now he was in this long room with these weird paintings of nothing along the wall... just splats and lines of color that didn’t really look like anything. There was a long table with six chairs on each side and two on the end, all of them tall backed seats with wheels. Pads of paper and pens were at each spot, and there was a large whiteboard on a tripod at the front of the room, and a TV hanging in the corner of the room showing a slow scroll of pictures of people drinking coffee or sitting by a pool or working on laptops. 

He hadn’t really seen much as he was lead inside, Andrew had lead him by the shoulders and walked him straight here, telling someone to call him on his cell if they needed him before coming into this room and sitting down for a while. Once Edward had calmed down, Andrew left his jacket on one of the chairs and told him that he would be back. Now alone, Edward gently kicked his feet back and forth underneath him, the chair tall enough that he wasn’t quite touching the floor. 

Edward finally stood from his seat and went to look at the man’s jacket. It was long and dark, with a large white oval name tag clipped to the front lapel, and the shoulders seemed to stand up on their own. Out of curiosity, Edward pulled the jacket off of the chair and wrapped it around his shoulders. His arms barely went halfway through the sleeves, and the jacket hung nearly to his knees, but the shoulders still stood at attention at either side. Edward was curious what he looked like, so he went back to his seat and very carefully claimed on top, holding the table for balance, and turned towards one of the paintings, the class covering reflecting back at him. Edward tried to hold back a snort of laughter when he saw himself, his arms like long black noodles, his chest looking twice as big as it should with his shoulders so pronounced. He turned and slumped back into his seat and let himself slowly spin in a circle in the chair. He lifted his arm to wipe once more at his cheeks, still feeling a bit rough from his cry earlier. As he wiped his cheek, he smelled at the jacket. It smelled nice. A little like vanilla ice cream and cinnamon. 

The red headed man came back inside, looking over to Edward with just a small start when he noticed his jacket. He lifted an eyebrow and chuckled. “Uh... you cold, buddy?”

Edward shook his head. “No, I’m fine, thank you.” He kicked his feet a bit more and grinned. This man was really very nice. So different than everyone else he’d met that day. 

“Well, THAT’S good.” He stepped inside with a small box in his hands, and held the door as a woman in a white shirt with a black apron and a funny hat came in holding a small wooden tray with two small silver pots and white mugs. “I thought you looked a bit upset when you came in, so I thought it might be nice to just have a snack and relax for a second. Thank you Becca.” Andy held the door until the woman left, and then he shut it behind her and turned to take a seat, placing the box off to the side. He rolled up his sleeves just below his shoulders, revealing slightly tanned skin covered in freckles. He looked much thinner and softer after he took off those big ol shoulders, and even more so when he loosened the long black tie from around his neck and pulled it over his head, letting his collar open up. “Do you like hot chocolate?” 

“Oh, yes please!” Edward scooted forward. He remembered the man at the food cart, though. “Um, but I don’t have any money on me... Is that-?”

“Don’t worry about it, buddy. For you, sir? On the house.” The man smiled with practiced but sincere empathy. He set a small plate on the table in front of Edward, followed by a decently large empty mug. “You wanna see something cool? We have a very special hot chocolate for our guests, and our friends. Watch this.” He carefully lifted a strange flat piece of latticed chocolate. it looked like someone had made swirls and swirls of chocolate on a plate and made it just stay like that. He placed the latticework over the cup, resting the very edges on the rim of the mug, and then picked up a thick cube marshmallow, resting it on top of the chocolate. “And now...” He lifted the smaller of the two silver pots, giving it a swirl in his hand before slowly pouring. a frothy milky hot chocolate poured from the spout over the marshmallow, making it slowly melt into the drink, making it even frothier, and when the chocolate lattice melted, it fell with the marshmallow into the drink with a small plop. Once the mug was about full, the man replaced the pot on the tray, and then took a pinch of two different small bowls, sprinkling first little chocolate shavings and then Graham cracker crumbs over the frothy head of the drink. “And there we have the Autumn Grand Hotel’s finest hot chocolate. For you.” He turned the handle towards Edward. “It’s hot, be careful.” 

Edward’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he watched the magic unfold before his eyes. He lifted his arms until he long sleeves of the man’s jacket slipped down to reveal his hands. He was very careful picking up the mug, feeling the warmth radiating from the sides, and took a careful yet loud sip, getting foam on his upper lip, which he did his best to lick off as he set the mug down. “Mmmm! Thanks Andrew!” 

“You can call me Andy.” Andy grinned and placed another mug in front of himself, but from the other pot he poured himself some coffee, adding a good amount of milk and two sugar cubes before giving a good stir with a tiny spoon and taking a nice large sip with a very red relieved sigh. it’d been one of those days. “And what is your name, buddy?”

The boy finished another long loud sip of his hot drink before answering. “I’m Edward. My family calls me Lil Edward.” 

“Well, Lil Edward huh? Do you mind if I call you that too?”

“Yeah!” Edward’s feet were swinging more freely now under him. “Hey Andy? Where are we?” 

“Where we are,” Andy leaned back in his seat and gestured around, “Is the Sedona meeting room, here at the Autumn Grand Hotel.” 

“This is a hotel?” Edward held his drink, taking slower softer drinks now, looking around against at the pictures. It didn’t LOOK like a hotel. 

“Yessir. More of a business class hotel. We’re in one of the meeting rooms. It’s not in use today, so I thought we could have a little privacy in here. I thought you might want to be away from the crowds for a bit. Now, Lil Edward, I hope you don’t mind me asking where your shoes are?” Andy nodded toward the boy’s feet. “I don’t think the middle of the city is a place you want to walk around barefoot.” 

“Yeah I know!” Edward put his mug down again and gestured with his once again noodle sleeved arms. “I had just taken them off to walk around the park, and I left them there for like... a MINUTE! And then PTHP! They were gone! I mean... I don’t think I LOST them. I’m starting to think...” Edward leaned forward and covered the side of his mouth with his hand, loudly whispering, “I think they were stolen...” 

Andy blinked a bit and slowly nodded. “Well, if you just left them there, I’m not surprised. I’m sorry to hear that.” Andy took a sip of his coffee before leaning forward with the mug between his hands. “And what were you doing outside the hotel? We’re you with your parents?”

Edward’s lips tightened a bit and he leaned back in his seat, looking off to the side a bit. “Well...” 

Andy could see the boy was squirming a bit. “You’re not in trouble, buddy.” He placed his mug down and rolled his chair a bit closer to Edward’s. “I promise. I’m just trying to make sure everyone’s safe. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“N-no...” Edward rubbed at his arm, still not looking over to Andy. He didn’t want to be in trouble, but he was sure the man would be mad at him once he found out he’d gotten lost and was supposed to be in school. 

“Well that’s good. But if your mom and dad aren’t here, I’m sure they’ll be missing you, huh?” Andy watched the boy carefully, noticing him biting at his lip. “You worried about them?”

Edward shook his head, but after a few moments of silence he started to turn back to face the man. “I’m... I don’t want them to be angry at me.” 

“Why would they be? Did you get into a fight with them, buddy?” Andy saw the boy’s hand shaking a little, so he reached over and turned the mug handle towards him. “Take a deep breath, Lil Edward. Have a sip, take your time. Just breathe a little, okay?” Andy let the boy take a drink, and he took his own deep breath to try and let Edward feel more comfortable doing it himself. He got Edward breathing a few times nice and deep. “That feels better, right?” Andy got a nod out of him, so he tried again. “So why would your mom and dad be upset?”

“I... I’m supposed to be in school.” 

“Did you run away from school?”

“N-no!” Edward looked up at Andy pleadingly. “I didn’t! I just wanted to go for a walk, and I was gonna go right back, but then I couldn’t find it again, and I kept trying to find it, but I just got lost, and no one even saw me, and I tried to talk to people, and the guy at the taco stand got mad, and the police scared me, and mom is going to be so mad that I left, and she’s probably at school right now with my teachers... and my teachers hate me! And mom’ll think that I’ve been bad, and...” 

Andy nodded. And the truth all comes pouring out. He let Edward go for a while before reaching over and patting his head. “Hey hey, bud, it’s okay. It was a mistake, you didn’t do it on purpose, right?” Edward shook his head, letting Andy touch his head. It felt good to at least have someone there being nice to him after everything that had happened that day. “I’ll help you find your parents, okay? And we’ll talk to them together about what happened, alright?” Andy was just trying to calm the boy down, but shortly after saying that, he found the boy’s arms wrapped around his middle, Edward’s face pressed against his shirt. It took him just a moment to collect himself enough to put his arm around the boy and pat his back. “It’s alright bud.” 

After a bit of questioning, Andy was able to get Edward’s school name, and was ready to give them a call to make sure everything was okay. Edward looked ashamed and asked if they could call his mom instead. He didn’t want to have to get in trouble with the school and have THEM call her. Andy understood and he had Edward write his mom’s number down on one of the meeting pads. Andy made the call first, telling the boy he’d try to make sure his mom was calmed a bit first.

“Hi, is this Edward’s mom? Y-... yes, I have him right here. He’s safe and sound at the Autumn Grand Hotel. ... I know, yes... no, take your time, take a few deep breaths. Haha, you’re right... you’re so right. No, he’s completely fine. Did you want to talk to him? Of course, of course, here he is.” Andy handed Edward the phone. Edward looked nervous, and made an audible gulp before placing the phone to his ear. 

“Mom?” He cringed right away, and Andy could hear the voice raise in pitch the moment her son was on the line. Edward waiting for a little while before talking. “I’m... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to... I just wanted to go for a walk, because I was upset. Well, the other kids were... yeah, I know but... yes ma’am... yes ma’am... I wont but- ...” Edward sighed. “I will. I promise.... Mhmm. Okay Mom. I love you too...” Edward handed the phone back to Andy. 

“Hello again, madame. It’s honestly not a problem, I’m just glad I could help. Now, I can give you the address to the hotel we’re at, but tell me, what side of town are you on? Uh huh... well, if you’d like I’d be happy to drop him off to you myself. ... No no, it wouldn’t be a problem, I’m not that far away, and I’m an Uber driver on the side, I know my way around. No no, I wouldn’t dream of it, this is on the house. ... No, really, it’d be my pleasure. Why don’t you text me your address, and we can leave here in the next 15 minutes. ... yes, absolutely. Alright.” 

Andy exchanged information with Edward’s mother, and Andy plugged the address in his phone. Andy took his jacket back from Edward, and before heading off he had Edward go into the lobby restroom with a washcloth and wash off his feet. When Edward came out, Andy had the small box he’d brought with him to the meeting room. He gave it to Edward, who found a pair of slip on dress shoes inside. Andy said that he just hoped they fit, that they came from lost and found. He didn’t have any socks, but that were clean and they would at least keep him from stepping on anything sharp going through the parking lot. Andy had his tie and jacket back on and spoke with the receptionist at the front desk before taking Edward out to his car, which was a small station wagon that was new and clean. They buckled up, and they were off. 

Andy tried to refuse Edward’s mother’s invitation to dinner out of politeness, but her country ways did not allow her to accept it. Andy found himself pulled into a small house in a small neighborhood at the edge of the main city. He stepped over boxes, brushing away the apologies that came from Mary and later Keith for the mess. They were only just moving in after all. Mary and her oldest daughter, Sara, made an extra spot at the dinner table while father Keith and Edward had a man to man talk in the other room. Sara was 24, almost as old as Andy, and her sister Staci was a few years behind at 20. Edward seemed to be in the next bunch of children with him at 12, his sister Ellie at 10 and the youngest girl Emma at 9. The entire family were bunked up in this three bedroom hour, and Andy couldn’t hardly imagine it. 

Andy found himself sat next to Edward almost elbow to elbow as Mary started serving plates of spaghetti and meatballs, Sara taking them each to the table. The talk became nearly overwhelming with each of the girls wanting their chance to welcome the stranger to their table. Edward was mostly quiet, and Andy did his best to answer questions, but Keith finally turned the conversation so that Andy could have a chance to eat. 

Overall it was a fun and crazy family night. By the end, Keith walked Andy to the front to thank him once again for all he’s done. The man tried to slip Andy some money, but Andy once again felt he needed to decline. Keith tried to insist, but Andy was finally able to turn things around by suggesting using the money to get Edward some new shoes, since the ones he had on didn’t quite fit him in size or style. Keith was very grateful and gave Andy a firm slap on the shoulder, saying he was welcome any time as an honorary member of the family. They exchanged information, and Andy soon finally found himself back in his car for a moment of silence. 

Wow... that was intense. Andy had lived in this city all of his life, and he’d moved to the city center almost four years ago, and in all of that time he’s never really found any friends outside of work. Then all of a sudden he finds himself not only some new friends, but honorary family members. Oh gosh, did that mean HE had 4 sisters now? Andy chuckled, and it turned into an all out laugh. The day had been crazy BEFORE Edward showed up, but now... well, it seemed all worth it in the end. He backed the car up tot he street, and before pulling away he glanced up to the house and saw Lil Edward looking out the window at him. Andy waved, and Edward seemed to perk up for a moment and waved back enthusiastically. This was soon interrupted as his two younger sisters shoved their way on either side of him to wave themselves. Andy waved and laughed, pulling away finally. 

Normally Andy would drive for Tuber after work out of boredom, but he actually felt quite accomplished and complete that evening. He turned onto the Main Street, and made his way back home for an early night.


	2. Friendly Sparks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward has finally made a friend in Andy. Someone to confide in. Maybe the city isn’t so bad after all~

Three months of living in the big city. Edward still struggled in his classes, but he was getting help to slowly catch up to the other students. He’d gotten into a fight with one of the bullies after he’d been singled out time and time again, and after finally pushing back just once the larger bully punched him in the face. Edward had taken a swing at the bully too, and then they were both sent to the principal’s office. Edward was let off with a stern warning and a phone call to his mother, while the bully was threatened with suspension since this was not his first fight. For the next three days Edward came to class with a black eye and a smile, and the bully, a tall thick headed boy named Franky, had a swollen lip. The bully and his friends seemed to leave Edward alone after that day, and people started to talk to him more friendly like. 

Edward’s mom wasn’t too happy about the fight, but his dad was secretly proud that his boy didn’t let the other boys walk all over him. While Mary wanted to have her son grounded, Keith was able to convince her instead to find a better outlet for the boy. Of course not only would an extra curricular activity help keep their son busy, it also looked good on future college applications, AND had the added benefit of keeping him out of the house and busy for a few more hours. It was that final point that sold Mary on the idea, and for a whole week she and her husband looked at different clubs and after school activities that they could sign the boy up for. Band... Drama... Debate... Sports... Some activities were too expensive, and other required getting to school early which was impossible with their schedule, and some were just laughable. Lil Edward as a junior politician? Yeah, right. 

It was finally decided to let the boy join a Karate club. They met three times a week after school. Edward could walk to the dojo after school, and would only be waiting about half an hour before his class. They bought his uniform from the thrift store, and on his first day they ‘rewarded’ him with his white belt and taught him how to bow. 

He’d been in this dojo now for almost two months. Sensei David was talking on and on about honor and defense and blah blah blah, so Edward just focused on stretching his neck, letting it roll around from front to back and side to side while sitting towards the back of the class. Students in a range of age were there with many different colored belts, but about half were from his school. He had been so lost in his own mind that he hadn’t heard the instructions as everyone else stood, and Edward quickly tried to mirror everyone else as they lined up. 

The students all stepped forward, followed by Edward who mimicked them as best as he could, and then all kicked forward! Then a quick shift, change positions, and then a kick with the other foot! This had them all stepping forward with each kick until they nearly reached the front of the dojo, when they all turned around and repeated the other way. This was how many of these classes went. Just stretch out for a while, get a lecture from Sensei David, and then practice punching and kicking all over the place until it was time to go home. 

Today, though, Sensei David had a surprise for everyone. He decided he was going to teach them a new self defense move. One of his black belts was called to the front to demonstrate. Edward was once again only half paying attention, so when the black belt slammed down against the mat flat on his back, his eyes snapped forward in surprise and he was excited and confused about what had just happened. 

“And now, if you would all pair up, you can take turns attempting the throw yourselves.” Sensei clapped his hands, and everyone began jumping up and pairing off with each other. 

Edward didn’t know anyone very well in the class, so he stood and waited. Others were already throwing each other around on the mats when Edward realized that just about everyone had paired up. He was the only student he could see without a partner. He walked between other students, watching as they practiced, grabbing their opponent’s Gi before flipping them around onto the ground time and time again back and forth. He finally got up to Sensei David and just looked up at the man. “Uh...sir?”

“Sensei.” The middle aged man corrected. 

“Just Edward.” The boy corrected back. “I don’t have a partner.” 

David hesitated, thrown off by the exchange, but looked around the room. “Ah, well let’s see...” Sensei scanned the dojo until he noticed another boy who had broken from the rest of the group to sit alone. “Daniel!” 

The boy in question ignored the call at first, but another shout from the instructor got him reluctantly standing up and walking over. He was about Edward’s age, a hint taller, with a shade darker skin and a bit of black eyeliner under his eyes. His hair was a bit of a mess of black hanging over his forehead threatening to cover his eyes, and his expression was heavy with disinterest and annoyance. 

David had the boys face each other and bow, and then he told Edward to execute the throw. The boy hesitated, and then asked if the other boy wanted to go first. Daniel rolled his eye and stepped forward and waited. “...You’re supposed to grab me first.” 

Edward blinked and rubbed the back of his head. “O-oh! Right... uh...” Edward hesitated and side glanced at some of the other students to figure out how he was supposed to grab the other boy. 

Daniel rolled his eyes again and grabbed Edward’s hand and pressed it to his chest, gripping the fingers around his Gi. “There.” He stepped one leg forward, pressing his hip against Edward and placing his leg behind Edward’s. “Hyah!” Dan twisted himself, pulling Edward up and over his him, his legs swinging up into the air before he slammed into the mat with a heavy THWAP! 

“... ... ... That was awesome!” Edward was grinning from ear to ear on his back, looking up at Daniel. “Do it again!” 

Daniel gave an annoyed sigh, but despite that he took Edward’s hand and helped him to his feet before repeating the move, tossing Edward to the mat twice more. He was about to go for a fourth throw when Sensei David told them to switch. Daniel helped Edward up once more and reached out and grabbed the other boy’s Gi. 

Edward took a deep breath and tried to remember just what Daniel did. He held the other boy’s arm with one hand, shoulder with the other, and stepped forward. It took a bit of shifting to get it feeling right, and then he gave a pull, feeling Dan rolling over his hip, but unsure of himself, Edward ended up tripping and both boys tumbled to the ground in a small pile! 

Sensei David shook his head and helped the boys up. “Edward, you need to be more confident in your approach. Here.” He got the boys into position. “Now, when I say go, I need you to step forward, pull, and throw. It’s about precision, yes, and technique... but more importantly it’s confidence. If you misstep or you miss your grip, it’s fine. But if you do everything right but with hesitation and doubt, you will not succeed. Make a mistake, but make it confidently. And don’t forget... Hyah!! The shout may feel silly, but it’s very important. Shout when you attack, tighten your core... and be confident. Again.” 

Edward nodded, and he turned his focus back on Daniel, who tightened his grip on Edward’s Gi. 

Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!” The scream shot through the dojo, and everyone jumped, especially Daniel, who was actually quickly trying to move back, but Edward grabbed his shoulder and stepped and pulled, the boy’s legs flying up and slamming down with a THWAP! There was silence in the dojo as Edward straightened himself up and grinned down at his partner. “Man, that scream really DID help!” He reached down to help his new friend to his feet. “Oh, by the way, I’m Edward!” 

“... Dan.” The other boy took Edward’s hand and was helped up to his feet. 

Sensei David clapped his hand once more and told everyone that the lessons were over and to pack up their things. He shook his head and walked back toward his office as the students all moved for the outer walls of the dojo to gather their bags. He needed a drink, these kids have too much energy... 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Still wearing his Gi and barefoot, Edward sat on the sidewalk outside of the dojo. The strip mall was still somewhat busy, and the sun was only just starting to set. The ‘Slash Panda’ drive-thru was backed up, and the lot was still full of cars from people visiting the string of shops. Some of the older kids had run off either for some food or to hang at one of the shops, and most of the others had their parents waiting for them before they even got out of class and were on their way home. 

He watched as Dan was picked up, the boy having changed into some ripped jeans and a black shirt, all of his gear shoved into a bag covered in decorative patches with skulls, flames, and dragons and stuff. Edward gave an enthusiastic wave, which wasn’t returned. Dan just looked over to him, and then lowered his head as he stepped into the large SUV with a neat foot step that automatically popped out when the door opened and pulled back when it closed. 

Eventually Edward was by himself, his legs crossed underneath him, leaning back gently against his olive colored duffle bag his dad had found with his old gear from his time in the army. He looked back at the large window of the dojo, seeing Sensei David sitting at his desk. The man looked up from time to time, which was nice. Edward gave the man a wave to show he was still okay. The first time Edward’s ride was late, Sensei told him that he would make sure the boy was picked up before he locked up, just in case. He was very nice. 

The traffic of the strip mall was dying down when a small white station wagon pulled up and came to a stop in front of the dojo. Edward’s smile returned in earnest as he clambered up to his feet and swung his duffle over his shoulder. The driver was just stepping out when Edward hopped onto the blacktop and ran around to hug the man around the waist. “Andy! You made it!” 

“Oof! Boy, after an hour and a half of karate chops and you’ve still got energy to burn.” Andy grinned and squeezed back before guiding the boy back onto the sidewalk. “I wish I was half as energetic as you can be. Where are your shoes?”

“In my bag.” Edward shook his duffle strap. “I didn’t wanna change clothes again just to have to change AGAIN later.” 

“Well, you had plenty of time... your feet are going to be a total disaster.” Andy grabbed the duffle bag and picked it up over the boy’s head, walking around to toss it into the back. He glanced up to see Edward had already climbed into the front passenger seat before he had closed the trunk, and turned to wave at the karate instructor inside, who waved back as he began closing all of the blinds to the dojo. Andy climbed back into the driver’s seat with a sigh. “Sorry I’m a bit late, your mom just called me about twenty minutes ago, apparently-“

“Things are busy at the shop, I know.” Edward sat up in his seat and reached forward to adjust the air to blow on his face. “It’s fine. I’m excited to get to see your house again!” 

“Yeah, well, hasn’t really changed since last time. So, how was class?” Andy pulled a U-turn to make his way back to the road as Edward began going on about what he’d learned and about the other boy he got to throw down onto the mat, and then started going on about school and his other classes. 

The one sided conversation did not end until Andy pulled his car into his driveway. The house he lived in used to be his grandmother’s, and he had been willed the remainder of her debts since she had a big falling out with her son, Andy’s dad. He still had a few more years to go before he’d be able to pay off the mortgage, but he was just happy to have a place to call his own. The front door handle was broke so you needed to use the key to turn the mechanism, and he hasn’t been able to replace the old carpets in the bedrooms or get any rugs for the main living room, which was a polished grey concrete, and some of the lights still didn’t work consistently, but it was home. 

Edward walked straight for the couch in front of the TV and was about to jump up and get comfortable when he heard Andy loudly clear his throat. He froze where he was and turned around slowly to see Andy with a raised eyebrow. 

“No sweaty workout clothes on the sofa please. Go shower first.” Andy held out Edward’s duffle bag. “You brought a clean change of clothes, yeah?”

“Uuuuhg... yes...” Edward looked a bit annoyed but pulled his white belt loose and let his sweaty Gi fall to the floor. He walked up to Andy, who was avoiding looking at the boy as he grabbed the bag and dragged it off down the hall towards the bathroom. 

Andy knew how free spirited Edward could be, the boy had come over after practice at least once a week since he started. They both had become more and more comfortable with each other, and while Andy might not be so comfortable as to strip down to his underwear himself, Edward seemed to be more than comfortable to do so. Must be something about living with such a big family. 

Andy just saw Edward’s undy bound butt turning down the hall when he finally peeked, and then he picked up the boy’s dirty clothes and went to toss them in the laundry while he made something for them to eat. Before Edward he’d only once had someone visit his house, and that had been an awkward silent adventure that ended up with a simple apology and an early taxi. He felt so much more comfortable with the boy, and they were able to fill the evening with talks or games or movies. The age difference was a bit odd, but they were both comfortable. 

When Edward came back, his hair a wet mop that fell over his eyes despite being pushed up time and time again, he was wearing green plaid pajama pants and an oversized white tee shirt with a super insignia that Andy didn’t recognize. Food was just being placed on some trays, a bowl of bright yellow boxed macaroni and cheese with a veggie burger on the side, and as soon as they sat on the sofa with their food, he tossed Edward the remote to choose a movie. He doubted the boy had hardly any chance to choose what he wanted to watch at home with his hoard of sisters, and he was filled with glee every time he was able to pick an action packed something or other with gun fights and Kung fu and car chases... 

Halfway through the movie, Andy removed the TV trays and took the dishes to the kitchen to give them a rinse. he pulled Edward’s Gi from the washer and popped them in to dry. He noticed his cell phone on the counter where he’d apparently left it, and picking it up he noticed a missed call from Edward’s mother. He pressed call back and straightened up the kitchen as he listened to the ringing on the other end. 

“Hello, this is Mary.”

“Mary, hi it’s Andy.” 

“Andrew! Oh thanks for calling back, I got a bit worried...” 

“Not a problem, we just had a movie playing and I left my phone in the kitchen. Edward’s doing good, he’s gonna be ready for you guys at 8.” 

“Well... That’s just the thing.” 

Andy closed the drawer he’d been straightening. “Is everything alright?” 

“Sorry, it’s just Emma. I got home a bit ago and she has a fever, I’m taking her to the urgent care to check her out, but Keith stayed back to finish the finances at the store since it’s end of the month.” 

“Oh, no... well, I hope Emma is okay. Um...” Andy leaned a ways to look through the hallway to the living room, seeing Edward staring unblinking at the tv, literally scoot to the edge of the sofa. He chuckled. “Well, I could drop Edward off myself, if-“

“Oh could you? I mean it would be so helpful. I just know he has school tomorrow morning and it will be probably midnight before I could even pick him up.” 

Andy nodded, knowing Edward’s mom wouldn’t receive the message, but he was thinking. Edward was having a really good time, and if he did go home it would be to a house full of nothing but sisters, and Andy could only imagine the horrors. “O-or... I mean, Mary, he could just stay here for the night if it helped you guys out?” Andy imagined Mary hesitating just to tell him what a bad idea that was, so he pre-defended himself with, “I mean I’m going to be headed to the hotel in the morning for a meeting, I can drop him off at school, he’s got a change of clothes in his bag... It’s an excuse to finally pull out the hideaway.” 

Andy expected some hesitancy, but Marie only sighed in relieve. “Andrew that would be SO amazing if it’s not too much trouble. I promise I can pay you for the gas and food as soon as the shop picks up.” 

“Oh psh, nonsense. How much can one kid eat.” 

“You say that now...” 

The two had a short laugh and ironed out the minor details before Andy hung up. He tapped at the side of the phone and leaned back against the kitchen counter. Huh, as weird as it was, this would actually be his first sleepover. Andy had been an only child with an overly religious and protective single mother, so he never was able to go out much. It took until high school to finally be even able to go to summer camp as a volunteer junior counselor.

He walked back into the living room rolling from heel to toe to not disturb the movie, and quickly crossed in front of Edward to sit down beside him once again. The movie’s whole theme had taken a much more quiet tone, and Andy noticed that it was the love scene before the final showdown. Andy had seen a million like it, but going off of Edward’s expressions, he had not. The boy’s cheeks were rosy red and he was leaning forward just as much as when the car chase was on. Andy chuckled and leaned back in his seat. He’d let Edward finish his movie first before telling him the news. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Edward let his head fall loudly onto the table with a groan. This was not the first overdramatic gesture he’d given that night, and Andy assumed it would not be the last. “So where are you getting stuck?”

Without looking, Edward put his hand on his homework sheet and slid it over to Andy to look at. Drawn on it were a mess of geometric shapes with different dimensions typed out, and others with dimensions missing, and one long paragraph explaining the dimensions without it drawn out. “I can’t remember what to do with the cylinder...” He lifted his head and gestured with one hand while his other grabbed and yanked at his own hair. “I mean...!! I only know the hight and the.... the bit across...uh...” 

“The diameter.” 

“Yeah! But... I mean... I can do the cube part, but that takes THREE sides... I’ve only got two...” His head went back down to the table. 

“Ah... I see. You just need to remember the formula for this shape then.” Andy scanned the work sheet and circled one of the symbols. “Do you remember what this is?”

Edward sighed and reached for the paper without lifting his head, but Andy held it out of reach. 

“Ah, come on... sit up, bud.”

The boy groaned but did as he was told and loudly scoot his chair over next to Andy and looked at what he’d circled. “Oh that? Um... Pi, I think.” 

“That’s right. And what IS pi?”

“Um... I don’t really... remember...” Edward was straining his tired brain, but started rubbing his forehead roughly. “It had something to do with circles...” 

“You’re right, but hey, guess what?” Andy put his hand on Edward’s head. “You don’t need to know exactly what it is. Just know what it’s used for. Sometimes you just need to accept things. Trust me, if you try to really figure it out, you’ll get a big ol headache.” He grinned and drew a circle, drew it into wedges, and added some little spots for holes and then some steam lines. “Look, it’s a pie!” 

Edward glanced sideways over at Andy with an unamused expression. “Not THAT kind of pie, Andy...” 

“Hey, I’ve got a point building up.” Andy pointed at his drawing. “Notice, it is a circle. Pie is a circle. And Pi deals with circles. Cylinder is just a long circle. So to measure it, you need Pi.” Andy wrote out Pi. “And of course you know what shape of Pi is, dont you?”

“Yeah, a circle.” 

“Oh you silly boy, of course not.” Andy grinned while Edward just looked confused. “Watch... everyone knows Pies-“ he pointed to the picture of his pie, “are circles. But Pi-“ he pointed back to the symbol and wrote out as he spoke, “are... squared.” He circled the equation. “Did they show you this.”

“Oh yeah... Oh wait, and r is... it’s this number right?”

“Almost, that’s the Diameter. R is radius, which is...” 

“Oh! Half of D. So half of D... squared... times Pi...” He started writing and grabbed for his calculator, and Andy leaned back slightly as Edward finished the equation on his own. “And... then you multiply by the hight...there. How’s that?”

Andy peeked over at the boy’s messy writing, finding the answer on the page. “Looks perfect. Now you try to do the next one.” 

Edward pulled the paper over and started looking at the next shape. Andy waited beside him patiently, looking up at the clock to see when they should be getting ready for bed. Edward looked at the problem in front of him, but he was becoming distracted. Not in his normal way of just thinking about ninjas and bull frogs, but of how much more... well he struggled to think of math homework as fun, but it was at least tolerable. At home he’d be getting yelled at on all sides by a swarm of sisters wanting to use the table to play because THEY would have all finished their homework by now, and then dad wouldn’t help and would just make him look up everything if he had a question... Andy was helping. And Edward wasn’t a second thought to him. But as the boy realized that having Andy there paying attention to him and helping him made him feel, he also started to realize how much he didn’t feel that normally at home...

“You okay bud?” Andy gave the boy a light nudge. “You seem to be zoning out. You getting tired?”

“No... I mean, well, yeah kinda, maybe? But... I mean...” Edward slipped back into his chair a bit more. “Um... Andy, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.” Andy turned in his seat to face him. “What’s up?”

“...” Edward tried to think of what to say. “Um... Well, do you think... Do you think my mom is... happier that I’m not home right now?”

This kind of question took Andy WAY by surprise. He felt his body tense, and he hesitated before saying anything. “I, uh... well, wow... no! I mean...” Andy took a second and took a breath. He looked at Edward, who looked almost a bit ashamed at having asked, but was being uncharacteristically quiet waiting for a response. “... okay, let’s unpack this a bit.” Andy leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees looking right at the boy. “Why would you think that she would be?”

Edward looked away, feeling embarrassed for having brought it up, but now he’d already blurted it out, so he needed to at least get an answer. “Well... Since we’ve moved I’ve been nothing but trouble...” He looked up at Andy expectantly. 

Andy was silent for a moment, not looking away from the boy. “It’s alright, keep going. You sound like you have more to say.” 

Edward cleared his throat. He was honestly expecting Andy to jump in to tell him why he was wrong about that. It’s what his mom or dad would have done. “Um... well, like I ran away that one time... well, not ran away, i went for that walk, and i got lost... but then I’m struggling with school, and my sisters do just fine... and Sara and Staci are already helping mom at the store on weekends because they have good grades, and mom’s always taking Emma and Ellie out places, and dad’s too busy to do anything after work... they kept pushing for me to go to karate and once i joined they started talking about getting me to join other clubs and camps... and they sound fun but... but it feels like they’re just doing everything they can to make sure I’m not coming home... And I’m happy they let me stay the night here with you because honestly I’d rather be here than home anyways, but I feel like... I feel like I’m just a burden at home, and they don’t want me there and would be happier if I just didn’t come home sometimes...” Edward was scratching at the top of his thumb nail as he talked, and his legs had crossed at the ankles and were bouncing with nerves. He finally looked up at Andy, who looked a bit hurt. “S-sorry...” 

Andy shook his head. “Don’t be sorry, buddy.” Without thinking, Andy stood from his seat and kneeled down in front of Edward, wrapping his arms around the boy and hugging him firmly. “You have nothing to be sorry about, okay? Thank you for telling me all of this.” 

Edward felt weird at first, holding his hands firmly in his lap still rubbing at his thumbnails, but in a quick motion he finally grabbed around Andy’s middle and gripped his shirt between his fingers and squeezed. He sniffled a bit, trying not to cry. His dad always looked at him real sternly whenever he was about to cry and he always tried to hold it back to be strong around his mom and his sisters, but the way Andy was holding him and talking to him now made him feel okay not to be tough. 

“Edward... you mom loves you. Your dad loves you, your sisters love you. Okay? I’m sure if you told them any of this they would tell you right then and there and make sure you knew it.” Andy rubbed up and down Edward’s back with one hand. “Your parents are struggling with work, and with caring for your sisters, and sometimes... well, people can be forgetful without meaning to be. You sounded like you have been holding that back for a while now... Have you?” Andy finally let the hug go, and let Edward sit back to quickly wipe under his eyes. The boy nodded, and Andy used his thumb to wipe a tear from Edward’s cheek that he’d missed, lifting the boy’s chin slightly so they were eye to eye once more. “You’re a good person, Edward. A great one. Everyone has struggles with things like school from time to time, but I’ve never seen you give up. Sure you got into a fight, but only when you were standing up for what you knew was right. And maybe, MAYBE your mom and dad find a bit of comfort in knowing that while they’re busy and stressed out and fumbling around with your sisters, that at least you’re out of the chaos and having some fun at karate. And maybe you’ll have more fun at camp than you would spending the summer stuck in the house with all of your sisters without the big fields of the country to walk in, you know?” 

Edward nodded, biting his lip and trying to take deep breaths. “Yeah... I... I just wish I didn’t feel like they didn’t want me there.” 

Andy nodded and stood up, patting the boy on the head. “Well, I tell you what. I am sure your mom and dad want you back SO bad in their own way, but if you’re ever feeling like you want to be somewhere you’re wanted, you can always give me a call. My house has never been as friendly and fun than when you’ve been here.” 

This time Edward didn’t stifle anything and gave a small laugh, wiping his cheeks once more. “Yeah, right...” 

“Hey, it’s true.” Andy crossed himself over his heart. “Before you got here I’d work at the hotel, go drive people around for as long as I could just so I wasn’t lonely, and then I’d come home for dinner, a shower, and bed. If that’s not sad and boring I don’t know what is. Since you’ve been around I’ve seen awesome movies, I’ve had fun dinners and talks, and I’m scheduled to go to my first ever Karate belt ceremony at the end of the month.” 

Edward looked up at Andy with a slightly embarrassed smile. He was feeling really weirdly down, but now Andy made him felt like he actually had a friend. A friend like the ones he imagined normal kids have, who help with homework and hang out after school and watch movies together. “Thanks Andy...” 

“You are welcome, buddy.” Andy grinned and glanced over at the clock, and then down to Edward’s homework. “You’re on the last question. You finish that up, then we should get to bed. I’ve got to get to a meeting in the morning, and I’ll be dropping you off at school. I’ll get your bed ready, if you have any trouble with the last question, just let me know.” 

“Alrighty!” Edward grabbed the bottom of the chair and scoot it noisily once again up to the table, grabbing his pencil with much more energy than he had before. One more question? He could take care of that! 

Andy left him to it, going to his room and doing a very minor pick up of some clothes hanging over the edge of the hamper. He made sure his drawers and closet were all closed, and then took one of his two pillows and the sleeping bag from under the bed and brought it all into the living room to set up on the sofa. 

Once Edward was done with his homework, he got everything packed up into his backpack, and placed that pack into the duffle bag along with his now clean and dried Gi from Karate. Andy brought him into his room and got him up into bed to show him the light switches and all. 

“I’ll be sleeping on the couch.” Andy announced. 

“But wont you be more comfortable in your bed? I can take the couch!” Edward was pulling the covers down to climb out, but Andy shoved him back in and pulled the covers back up. 

“Hey, I never get a chance to sleep on the couch, this is a good excuse. Next time, I’ll have something like a cot or something and we can BOTH have beds. For now, don’t worry about it.” He pat the kid’s head. “Alright... good night buddy.” 

“Good night!” Edward flopped back and sighed, crossing his hands back behind his head. He closed his eyes for just a moment, but as the lights turned off, his eyes opened once more. “Hey Andy?”

Andy was just about to close the door, but opened it back up slightly. “Yeah bud?”

“Um...Can I ask you another question?”

“You can ask, but I don’t guarantee an answer.” Andy turned the lights back on and leaned in the doorway. “Shoot.” 

“...It’s kind of embarrassing.”

Andy raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s you who needs to ask, Edward, not me. I think I’ve shown you so far that you can trust me with embarrassing things, right?”

“Yeah... as long as you’re okay with it.” Edward sat up with his back pressed against the head of the bed. “When the people in the movie were kissing and hugging and stuff, were they putting their tongues in each other’s mouths? Is that French kissing? Someone as school said that people who French kiss are dating...” 

Andy almost slipped out of the doorway where he’d been leaning, but caught his balance and cleared his throat. “O-oh, you wanted to know about... ahem, well...” Wow, was not expecting a talk like this with anyone, much less a kid laying in his own bed. Awkward. “Y-yes... well first of all, yes, they were ‘French kissing’. Uh... Well, you don’t have to be dating, but a lot of people DO when they’re dating. And in the movie I think it’d implied that they WILL be dating... and some people, especially the ones who go to church a lot, will say that French kissing is only for the person you’re married to, so...” He looked over to Edward, who was looking interested but confused. “... Bottom line, it IS French kissing but the whole dating part is complicated.” 

Edward nodded. “Um... when they were taking their shirts off, I started to feel, um...” He was motioning, but Andy didn’t need him to. He knew what the boy wanted to express, and Andy’s cheeks were getting more red than Edward’s. “I just... I don’t know why... I mean, it stopped. But like... it was...” 

Andy finally put his hand up. “I get it, bud... Uh... question first.” Andy put his hands up in front of him like he was praying for a moment and then pointed them to the boy. “Has your school done sex-ed class yet?” 

“No... I think we do that at the end of the year before summer break.” 

“Then you know what, I’m going to just tell you that everything you’ve got going on is natural, you do NOT have to worry about it, and you should probably wait for your teacher to tell you. Or ask your dad. I dont think it’s appropriate for me to-“

“B-but, Andy...” Edward crossed his legs and lifted his knees up a bit. “I don’t... I don’t wanna talk to my DAD about this.” He was blushing and bit his lip. “Or my teacher... I just... Can’t you tell me?”

Andy took a moment to think about it. “... Not tonight. BUT... next time you stay over... If you’ve got questions... I’ll do my best to answer them.” 

Edward looked slightly suspicious. “You promise?”

“I promise. As long as you get to bed tonight.” 

“Deal.” Edward straightened his legs and held out his hand. 

Andy walked over and took the hand, giving it a semi firm shake. “Deal.” 

Edward grinned, again happy that he finally had someone like Andy in his life. Someone who didn’t treat him like a bother. Who took the time to let him talk and actually listened, and who gave real advice. He blushed a bit and leaned forward, wrapping his free hand around Andy, turning the handshake into another big hug. Andy hugged him back, and they squeezed each other for a moment. 

Andy felt himself smiling. “Good night, Edward.” Without thinking, Andy lowered his head and kissed the top of the boy’s forehead, and they loosened their grips and released the hug, but Edward gripped at Andy’s shirt and held him, leaning up to return the little kiss, their noses bumping as Edward’s lips pressed against Andy’s. 

Edward sat back, his hand still on Andy’s shirt, and he grinned. “Good night Andy. Thanks for letting me stay with you.” 

Andy hesitated, his cheeks feeling hot as he saw Edward’s reflecting blush. They held eye contact, both losing words. Edward had just kissed him, sure. But that was just Edward being the silly kid he was. Probably didn’t mean anything by it. Unfortunately Andy was only now learning that his self control and practical methodical mind was weak, and without considering anything at all he had leaned forward, and felt Edward’s lips against his again. This time their lips pressed together for longer, lingering enough to take in the sensations. Their bodies tensed and relaxed, they became warm as their breath tickled across each other’s cheeks. Their lips were shy and soft as they breathed slowly, taking in their unique smells. 

Andy leaned back and finally opened his eyes, seeing Edward’s lips still slightly puckered and his eyes closed as if still experiencing and processing what had just happened. “Good night, Buddy.” Andy swallowed and pulled up Edward’s covers once more, slowly exiting the room, turning off the lights. As soon as the door closed he let out a long relieving sigh. And then the panic started to build. Oh god, what had he done!? He... did he just... with the kid!? 

Andy struggled to sleep that night, his mind racing with ‘why’s and ‘what if’s, his heart racing and his body tense as he just ran through every scenario in his mind. 

Edward, on the other hand, fell asleep with a fluttering heart, blushed cheeks, and dreams of him and Andy best friends forever. He couldn’t wait for Andy to come to his karate ceremony and show off everything he’d learned, and he couldn’t wait to turn in his homework from that night that Andy helped with, and the last thought before he fell to sleep was wondering if kissing was supposed to last that long...


End file.
